Railway-spike.



Patented may 1'?, 19m

Suva-nto@ attozvims RICHARD A. ROSSMEISL, 0F WHITINGHAM, VERMONT.

RAILWAY-SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed July 19, 1909. Serial No. 508,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD A. RossMEisL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at lVhitingham, in the county of Windham and State ofVermont, have invented certain new and useful -Improvements in Railway-lSpikes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railway spikes.

The object of the invention is to provide a railway spike having meanswhereby the same will be securely held when driven into a tie and havingmeans thereon to engage the flange of the rail and to securely brace orfasten the rails to the ties.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel .features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s aperspective view of a spike constructed in accordance with theinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the spike driven into atie and in engagement with the rail; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionthrough the spike.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the spike, theupper end 2 of which is squared or rectangular in cross section andprovided on one side with an eX- tension 3 which, when a spike is driveninto the tie, bears against the outer edge of the base flange of therail. The lower portion of the spike is preferably three cornered ortriangular shape in cross section and the lower end of the spike ispointed, as at 4, to facilitate the driving of the same into a tie. Thecorners of the lower triangular portion of the spike are notched, asshown at 5, to provide a series of outwardly and upwardly projectingspurs or barbs 6 which when the spike is driven into the tie prevent thecasual withdrawal or loosening of the spike.

On the upper end of the spike is arranged a flat plate like head 7, oneend of which pro--V jects a short distance beyond the rail engaging sideof the spike to form a rail flange engaging projection 8, the inner orlower side of which is beveled or inclined to correspond with theinclination of the upper' side of the rail flange, as shown. Theopposite end of the plate or head 7 projects a considerabledistancebeyond the spike and is preferably bifurcated, as shown at 9,and in the bifurcated end of the plate are formed apertures l0 throughwhich nails or similar fastening devices are inserted and driven intothe ties, thereby securely holding the upper end of the spike and thehead in engagement with the fiange of the rail and preventing the latterfrom spreading or upsetting.A

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood witho ut requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A railway spike comprising a body portion having a rectangular offsetupper end, and a triangular-shaped lower portion, a series of barbs orspurs formed on the corners of said triangular portion, a plate likehead on the upper end of the spike, said head having one end beveled onits under side and adapted to be engaged with the flange of the rail andhaving its opposite end bifurcated and projecting a suitable distancebeyond the OppOsite'Side of the spike, said bifurcated end having formedtherein apertures for fastening devices to be inserted therethrough anddriven into the tie whereby the upper end of the spike is braced andsecured in operative engagement with the rail` In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD A. ROSSMEISL. lVit-nesses JOHN R. GIILETTE, GERALD H. WHEELER.

